How to Start a Gluten-Free Diet in 2010

It can be difficult to start a gluten-free diet, but it can be done if you take the proper steps to adopt a gluten free lifestyle. This is especially important if you have celiac disease which affects the small intestine.

Here are some steps on how to start a gluten-free diet in this new year.

So what is a gluten-free diet? It is a diet that cuts out protein gluten and it's found in grains such as wheat and rye.

Here are some foods to omit in a gluten-free diet: wheat, rye, barley, farina, kamut, durham, semolina, graham flour, kasha, Matzo meal and triticale. It's also advised to avoid oats as well because oats are sometimes contaminated with wheat.

One way to make it easier to adopt a gluten- free diet is to purchase food products that are labeled gluten-free. It makes shopping at the market so much easier and convenient to have these products already labeled.

There are some grains you can eat that are gluten-free, but can be contaminated by other grains. These gluten-free grains are amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa. So pay attention to the packaging and make sure the grain is gluten-free.There are foods you can prepare at home that won't contain gluten. There are gluten-free flours you can bake dishes with. Some gluten-free recipes include pumpkin pie, spinach and strawberry salad, red lentil soup, grilled marinated shrimp and Mexican bean salad. So you don't have to miss out on some of your favorite foods if you switch to gluten-free ingredients instead.

Some great Web sites for gluten-free are allrecipes.com, www.recipezaar.com, www.gluten.net and www.101cookbooks.com. If you make your own food dishes in your own kitchen, you decrease the chance that your food will be contaminated by gluten products.

If you like to dine out at restaurants or order carry out, there are gluten-free dishes and restaurants that have gluten-free menus. When you arrive at a restaurant ask for their gluten-free menu. If you aren't sure the restaurant has a gluten-free menu, call ahead so that you aren't disappointed.

There is a gluten-free restaurant guide available online, www.glutenfreerestaurants.org you can refer to for more information about gluten-free Web sites. Also check out the www.glutenfreeregistry.com for a list of gluten-free restaurants. This site zeros in on restaurants in your area showing a map.

With the above information, you can make your transition to a gluten-free diet much smoother.